Stephen LaBerge (born 1947) is an American psychophysiologist specializing in the

scientific study Scientific study is a kind of study that involves scientific theory, scientific models, experiments and physical situations. It may refer to: *Scientific method, a body of techniques for investigating phenomena, based on empirical or measurabl ...

lucid dreaming A lucid dream is a type of dream in which the dreamer becomes aware that they are dreaming while dreaming. During a lucid dream, the dreamer may gain some amount of control over the dream characters, narrative, or environment; however, this is n ...

. In 1967 he received his

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

. He began researching lucid dreaming for his

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

in psychophysiology at

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

, which he received in 1980. He developed techniques to enable himself and other researchers to enter a lucid dream state at will, most notably the MILD technique ( mnemonic induction of lucid dreams), which was used in many forms of dream experimentation. In 1987, he founded The Lucidity Institute, an organization that promotes research into lucid dreaming, as well as running courses for the general public on how to achieve a lucid dream. In the early 1980s, news of LaBerge's research using the technique of signalling to a collaborator monitoring his

EEG Electroencephalography (EEG) is a method to record an electrogram of the spontaneous electrical activity of the brain. The biosignals detected by EEG have been shown to represent the postsynaptic potentials of pyramidal neurons in the neocortex ...

with agreed-upon eye movements during REM helped to popularise lucid dreaming in the American media.

Research results

Results from LaBerge's lab and others include: *comparison of subjective sense of time in dreams versus the waking state using eye signals *comparison of electrical activity in the brain when singing while awake, and while in a dream *various studies comparing physiological sexual arousal and in-dream sex and orgasm

Lucid dreaming education and facilitation

LaBerge developed a series of devices to help users enter a lucid state while dreaming. The original device was called a DreamLight, which was discontinued in favor of the NovaDreamer, designed by experienced lucid dreamer Craig Webb for the Lucidity Institute while he worked there and participated in lucid dreaming research at Stanford. As of 2013 it was not possible to purchase these devices from the Lucidity Institute website. An improved version, the ''NovaDreamer II'', is a mask with flashing lights that measures eye movement. All of the devices consist of a mask worn over the eyes with

LED A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor Electronics, device that Light#Light sources, emits light when Electric current, current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy i ...

s positioned over the eyelids. The LEDs flash whenever the mask detects that the wearer has entered REM sleep. The stimulus is incorporated into the wearer's dreams and can be recognised as a sign that they are dreaming.Lucid Dreaming Frequently Asked Questions Answered by The Lucidity Institute
/ref> LaBerge currently lectures at universities and other professional institutions, and hosts lucid dreaming sessions at various locations.

Bibliography

LaBerge has produced several books and tapes about lucid dreaming. * * *

References

External links

The Lucidity Institute
* LaBerge, S. (1980). Lucid dreaming: An exploratory study of consciousness during sleep. (Ph.D. thesis, Stanford University, 1980), (University Microfilms No. 80-24, 691) {{DEFAULTSORT:LaBerge, Stephen American psychologists American psychology writers American male non-fiction writers American self-help writers Dream Lucid dreams Sleep researchers Stanford University alumni 1947 births Living people Oneirologists